Jeremiah, The Weeping Prophet

Jeremiah, The Weeping Prophet Jeremiah 1-52

Jehoiakim burns the Word of God WHILE JOSIAH WAS the king in Judah, God called a young man named Jeremiah to be a prophet. At first Jeremiah thought he could never obey his call, for he was a shy, timid young man. He told the Lord that he could not speak to the people because he was only a child. But God answered, "Do not say you are only a child; for you must go to every person to whom I send you, and you must tell them every word I bid you." Then the Lord touched Jeremiah's mouth and said, "I have put my words in your mouth, and I have set you over the nation to do a great work for me." Jeremiah was no long afraid to obey when God promised to be with him and help him out of his troubles. For Jeremiah knew he would have many troubles. He knew how the prophets before him had been cruelly treated because they dared to speak God's words to the sinful people. He knew that he, too might have to suffer many things. While Josiah was king in Judah, Jeremiah was treated kindly. But after Josiah died the people soon turned back to idol-worship again. They did not care for the true God, and they refused to listen to his faithful prophet. The king of Egypt took their new king away as a prisoner, and made them pay great sums of money every year. Then he placed another of Josiah's sons upon the throne of Judah. Josiah's sons were not good men like their father. They forsook God and allowed idols to be set up all through the land. They even treated God's prophet unkindly because he warned them about the dangers that God would send upon them as punishments for their sins. One day Jeremiah told his dear friend Baruch the words that God spoke to him, and Baruch wrote the words in a book. Then he took the book and went out to read it among the people. Soon the princes of Judah heard about it, and they called Baruch and asked him to read to them. They were frightened when they heard what Baruch had written; for they believed God's words, and they knew their land would soon be taken away from them. They asked Baruch to let them have the book to read to the King. But first they told Baruch to hide himself and Jeremiah, lest the King be angry when he hear the words of God and try to punish them for putting the words into the book. Jehoiakim, Josiah's son, was the king at that time. He was sitting in his palace when the princes came to him, bringing the book that Baruch had written. And he listened while they read. But as soon as they finished reading a page he called for the book and took his penknife and cut the page out. Then he threw it into the fire. This he did with every page that Baruch had written. He would not believe the words of the Lord. And he wanted to punish Jeremiah and his friend; but he could not find them. The princes sent word to Jeremiah and Baruch, telling them how the King had treated the book, and once more the prophet and his friend wrote down the words of God. And the words that they wrote were true; for not long afterwards a great king from the east country, of Chaldea, came and took some of the people away to Babylon And Jehoiakim was placed in a prison-house and kept for a prisoner as long as he lived. But Jeremiah's troubles were by no means ended. After the death of Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, who had reigned just a little over three months, a new king, Zedekiah, another son of wicked Jehoiakim, was soon ruling the people of Judah, and he was more wicked than his father had been. He caused Jeremiah to be cast into a prison-house because he spoke the words of God. And the men who put him into the prison tied ropes about his waist and lowered him into a deep hole beneath the prison floor. Such a hole is called a dungeon, and there the prophet was kept for some time. In the dark, dreary dungeon Jeremiah was very unhappy. He had no comfortable place to rest, and he had only dry bread and water to eat and drink day after day. While this trouble was happening to Jeremiah, the people of Jerusalem were also in distress. The king of Babylon had come again, with a strong army, and was camping around the walls of their city. They could not go away, and none of their friends could come to help them. And their food-supply was growing smaller every day. Soon they would have nothing left to eat. The King of Judah was afraid of this army outside his city. He called for Jeremiah to tell him what to do. So the men let ropes down into the dungeon and pulled the prophet out again to send him to the King. And Jeremiah told the King that God was going to allow the army to capture the city and break down its walls and even destroy the beautiful temple of the Lord. But he said that God would not let the Chaldean king, Nebuchadnezzar, kill the people of Jerusalem if they would willingly offer themselves to become his prisoners. Then they would not need to starve to death inside the city. Jeremiah asked the King not to send him back into that dark dungeon again. So afterwards he was kept in the court of the prison, and treated more kindly. But he was not allowed to go about through the city and talk to the people. The people of Jerusalem and their King were not willing to give themselves up as prisoners to Nebuchadnezzar, as Jeremiah had told them to do. So weary months passed by, and they stayed inside the walls of Jerusalem and suffered from hunger and thirst. Jeremiah suffered with them, for he could not escape. At last, when all the food was gone, the King decided to slip away from Jerusalem during the night. He thought the Chaldean army and King Nebuchadnezzar might not see him. But King Zedekiah had not gone far from the city when he was captured by his enemies, the Chaldeans. They put heavy chains on his hands and feet, and then put out his eyes and led him away to Babylon. Many of the people of Judah were taken with him, and only a few of the poorer people were left in the land. Nebuchadnezzar and his army broke down the walls of Jerusalem and set fire to the temple of the Lord. They first took out all the vessels of gold and silver that they found in the temple, and carried those precious vessels to their own land. Jeremiah was allowed to remain in the land of Judah among the poorer people. And he lived to be an old man. But as long as he lived he faithfully warned the people according to all the words that God spoke to him. Because he lived during such a time of trouble, Jeremiah was a sad-face man. He talked more about the sorrows of his people than about their joys. And often he wept because of their sins. For this reason he was called the "Weeping Prophet." Tomorrow: The People of Judah Live in a Strange Land

The Good King Hezekiah

The Good King Hezekiah 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32

As Hezekiah lays sick, the prophet Isaiah tells him that he must get ready to die. AFTER THE PEOPLE of Israel were carried away into captivity by the king of Assyria, only the tribe of Judah remained of the twelve tribes that had entered the promised land under the leadership of Joshua. And Hezekiah was the king of Judah at that time. Now the kingdom of Judah was very weak when Hezekiah took the throne. For many years it had been ruled by men who were not serving the true God, and they had even shut up the temple of the Lord. Hezekiah began at once to restore the true religion. He called for the priests and the Levites to come to Jerusalem to cleanse the temple. Then when everything was ready for worship at the house of God, he sent invitations to the people in every part of the land of Judah and Israel, and commanded them to come to the Feast of the Passover, which they had not kept for many long years. Some of the people only laughed when they received Hezekiah's invitation to attend the Feast. They had worshiped idols for so long a time that they did not care to return to Jerusalem again, to worship the true God. But many from the land of Judah came gladly, and there was a great meeting. Hezekiah destroyed the idols out of his land, and tried to teach his people to do right. He found in Jerusalem the brass serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness. He saw that the people were burning incense before this brass serpent, just as if it were an idol, so he cast it into the fire. He tore down the altars that had been built to worship heathen gods, and did much to strengthen his kingdom. The King of Assyria had gained power over Judah before Hezekiah took the throne. Every year the people of Judah had to pay Assyria a large sum of money. But Hezekiah was displeased to have his people oppressed by this heathen King. He decided to quit paying the money. He built up the walls of Jerusalem until they were very strong. Then he gathered an army and made ready to fight against the Assyrians. But Hezekiah's army was only a handful compared to the hosts of Assyria. The enemies came into the land of Judah and took one city after another. Then they marched toward Jerusalem, and Hezekiah knew that his soldiers could not keep them away. He saw when too late that he had made a sad mistake when he refused to pay the money that the Assyrian King required of his people. So he sent word to the angry King, promising to resist him no more and to pay whatever that King should require. The King of Assyria thought: "Now is my chance to spoil this little country of Judah." So he demanded a heavier tax than he had ever asked before. And Hezekiah took all the gold and silver that was in his palace, and all that he could find among the people, and even the gold and silver from the temple of the Lord to pay this tax. Still the King of Assyria was not satisfied. He sent a message, saying, "I am going to destroy your city and take you and your people away to a far country, just as I have done to your neighbors who lived in Israel. The gods of other nations did not help them when I came against them, and your God will not be able to save you." Hezekiah was afraid when he heard this message. He knew that his army was not strong enough to drive away such a powerful enemy. He took the letter that this King had written and went into the temple to pray. There he spread the letter before the altar and asked God to help him and his people out of their trouble. Then he sent some of his princes to visit the good prophet Isaiah and ask him to tell them about God's will. Isaiah answered, "The Lord has said that the King of Assyria shall not come into this city, nor shall he even shoot an arrow against it. But he shall go back to his own country by the way that he came, and there he shall be killed with a sword." That same night an angel of God visited the camp of the Assyrian King and caused a terrible sickness to fall upon the soldiers. By morning many of them lay dead. All of the leaders in the army were among the dead men, and the King rose up and hastened back to his own land. Never again did he return to fight against Hezekiah, for God had heard and answered the prayers of the good King. And years after this, while he was worshiping the temple of his god in Nineveh, two of his own sons killed him. At one time Hezekiah became very sick, and there was no cure to be found for his sickness. Isaiah, the prophet, came to him and said, "God has commanded that you get ready to leave this world, for you must die." Hezekiah did not feel that he could leave his people. He turned his face to the wall and prayed earnestly that God would make him well again. Then he wept bitter tears, and reminded God how faithfully he had tried to rule the people. And God heard Hezekiah's prayer. Isaiah was returning to his home when the Lord spoke to him again, saying, "Go back to the King and tell him that I have heard his prayer and seen his tears; and now I will add fifteen years to his life. On the third day he shall be able to go up to the temple to worship." Hezekiah was glad to hear Isaiah's second message. He asked for a sign from the prophet, and Isaiah answered, "The sign shall be according to your choice. Shall the shadow on the sun-dial go backward or shall it go forward ten degrees?" The sun-dial was the instrument by which the King might know the time of day; for he had no clocks as we have now. And Hezekiah asked that the shadow might go backward, as it would not seem like a sign for the shadow to move forward. So Isaiah prayed, and the shadow moved backward ten degrees. And Hezekiah was healed of his disease, according to God's word, and he lived for fifteen years more. During that time he built up his kingdom and became very rich. He grew proud of his riches; but God rebuked him, and he humbled his heart again. When he died all the land mourned for him, because they knew he had been the best king Judah had known. Tomorrow: King Josiah and the Story of a Forgotten Book

The Sad Ending of the Kingdom of Israel

The Sad Ending of the Kingdom of Israel 2 Kings 17

God allowed the Assyrians to carry the Israelites away to a strange land THE PEOPLE OF Nineveh believed God's prophet and were ready to ask God to forgive their sins. They repented, and they were not destroyed. But the people of Israel did not believe the faithful prophets whom God sent to them, one after another. Some of them, of course, believed; but many of them did not. Their kings refused to worship God in the right way, and kept the golden calves, which the first king of Israel had made. Many years passed by, and God saw that the Israelites would never return to worship him as they had done in the days of David and Solomon. Nineteen kings had ruled in the land of Israel, and many times God had helped those kings out of trouble. Still they would not lead their people back to the true worship. At last God allowed an enemy to carry them all away to a strange land. Hoshea was king in Israel when the great Assyrian army came down into the land and took possession of it. For a while Hoshea and his people paid a large sum of money each year to the Assyrian nation, and they were allowed to live in their own land. But when Hoshea refused to pay the money and sent to the king of Egypt for help, the king of Assyria sent his army again, and the army took Hoshea and all his people away from their homes and led them into heathen cities to keep them for slaves. This was the terrible punishment that their sins of idol-worship had brought upon them. And they were never again allowed to return to live in their homeland. The Assyrian king now ruled over all of the country where the ten tribes of Israel used to live. He wanted to have some people in that land, so he took some heathen people from cities in the east country and brought them to live in the cities of Samaria. He told them to work the fields and keep the vineyards, and pay him money from the crops they raised in Israel. The new people in Israel were idol-worshipers. They did not know about the true God at all. After they had been in the land for some time they became afraid of the God of that land, for lions would come out of the woods and kill some of them when they went out to their fields to work. They believed that the God of Israel was sending the lions among them because they did not know how to worship him. So they sent messengers back to Nineveh to tell the king about their troubles. They asked him to send a priest of the Israelite slaves back to Israel, that he might teach them to worship the Israelites' God. The king sent a priests of the Israelites, and he went to live in Bethel. He told the strange people about the true God, and they, too, tried to worship him. But they continued to worship their own gods, and their religion became a mixture of right and wrong. Even today some of the descendants of those people are living in Samaria, and their worship is a mixture of idolatry and the religion of the Jews. Tomorrow: The Good King Hezekiah

Jonah - The Prophet Who Tried To Run From God

Jonah - The Prophet Who Tried To Run From God Jonah 1-4

Jonah tells the people of Nineveh that they must repent of their sin. DURING THE YEARS that Elisha was the prophet in Israel, the Syrians were a strong nation, and they often warred against the Israelites. But after Elisha died the Syrian nation grew weaker, and by and by did not trouble Israel any more at all. Then a new enemy arose, from the far east country. This new enemy was the Assyrian king, who was conquering many little countries round about. And all the while he was sending his armies nearer and nearer to the border-land of Israel, and the Israelites were beginning to fear him. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, and the home of the great king. And Nineveh was a great city. It had stood for hundreds of years, and it had grown larger and larger until thousands and thousands of people lived inside its high walls. These people did not serve the true God, but worshiped idols. And year after year they became more wicked, until finally God thought he would destroy them all. But God is very merciful. He knew the people of Nineveh had not known about him as had the people of Israel, for no prophets had ever come to warn them about their wrong-doings. So he decided to send them a prophet from Israel to tell them that their city would be destroyed because of their awful sins. Jonah was the prophet whom God chose to send to Nineveh. But Jonah did not want to go to that wicked city so far from his homeland. He knew the Assyrians were enemies of the Israelites, and he thought it would be better if God would destroy their city than to give them a chance to repent of their sins. So Jonah thought, "I will not go to Nineveh. I will take a ship down at the Great sea, and I will sail away toward the west country instead of going toward the east country. Then maybe I can get so far away that God will not talk to me any more about going to preach to those wicked people of Nineveh." Jonah went down to the seaside and found a ship ready to sail away. He paid his fare, climbed on board the ship, and started with the sailors to go to a city called Tarshish, far to the west. He thought he was very safe now, and he feared no longer that he should have to go to Nineveh. Indeed, he felt so safe that he went down into the ship and soon fell fast asleep. But God knew all about Jonah's plans, and God was not willing for his prophet to disobey him. He had called Jonah to go to preach to the heathen people in Nineveh, and he sent a storm on the Sea which threatened to wreck the ship. The sailors became frightened and they called on their gods to quiet the winds; but the winds blew harder than ever. They did not know what to do. Finally the captain went down into the ship and found Jonah lying there asleep. The captain woke Jonah and told him to call upon his God for help in this time of trouble. But Jonah did not feel much like asking God to help him when he was running away from the work that God had told him to do. No doubt his conscience began to trouble him greatly; and when he saw the strong waves dash against the ship and toss it about like a chip on the water, he feared that he should never again see dry land. When the storm continued to rage, the sailors decided that one of them on board the ship must be the cause of the trouble, so they decided to cast lots and see on which one the lot would fall. And the lot fell on Jonah. Jonah was a stranger among them, and the sailors wondered what terrible thing this stranger had done. They gather round him and asked, "Tell us, who are you and what is your business?" And Jonah told them that he was from the land of Israel and that he worshiped the God who had made the sea and the dry land. At once they were afraid, for they did not know about such a great God, and they thought surely he was angry. Jonah told them how he had tried to run away from God, and they believed that God was trying to punish him. Jonah, too, believed that God had sent the storm on his account. "What shall we do to you that the storm may cease?" asked the frightened men when they saw that their ship would soon be dashed in pieces if the wind and waves continued to toss it about. And Jonah answered,, "Throw me overboard in the water, and then the storm will end." The sailors did not wish to treat Jonah so cruelly, but when they saw that all would be lost if they allowed him to remain on board the vessel, they picked him up and threw him into the sea. But God was not yet finished with Jonah. He had prepared a great fish, and the fish swallowed Jonah and carried him about for three days and three nights before throwing him out onto the land. By that time Jonah was very willing to go to Nineveh and preach God's message to the people there. When Jonah entered the city he began to cry out: "Within forty days Nineveh shall be destroyed!" On and on he went, for Nineveh was a great city, and in every street where he passed he cried out the same words. And the people stopped to listen to his strange message. They had never see a prophet of God before. Some of them ran to tell their King about Jonah's words, and the King was frightened. He rose from his throne and laid aside his rich garments and dressed himself in sackcloth. Then he sat down in ashes and became sorry for his sins. He commanded all the people of the city to do as he was doing, and to cry earnestly to God to spare their lives. After Jonah finished preaching he went outside the great walls and waited to see the fire fall from the sky to burn up the enemies of the Israelites. But forty days passed by and no fire fell. Because the people believed Jonah's message and repented of their sins God did not destroy their city. Then Jonah became very much displeased. He feared that people might call him a false prophet, and he wanted to die instead of go back to his own county again. God taught Jonah a lesson by allowing a gourd-vine to grow up in one night and make a shelter for him from the burning heat of the sun. Then God caused a worm to destroy the gourd, and Jonah became very unhappy. Again he wished that he might die. So the Lord spoke to Jonah and said, "You were sorry to see the plant die, though you did not make it grow. And should I not have more pity on the people of Nineveh than you have on a plant?" Jonah learned that God looks upon people of every nation as being precious in his sight, even though they do not know how to worship him. Tomorrow: The Sad Ending of the Kingdom of Israel

Jehoash the Boy King

Jehoash the Boy King 2nd Kings 12 to 2nd Kings 14:16

Jehoash is proclaimed king at seven years old. WHEN JEHOSHAPHAT DIED, his eldest son Jehoram became king in Judah in his place. His wife was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and together they did a great many wicked things. Jehoram slew all his brothers in order to get the riches which his father had left to them. He built places in the mountains of Judah and in Jerusalem for the worship of Baal. When he died, after ruling for eight years, his son, Ahaziah, became the ruler. He, too, was very bad, and his rule was a short one. When he was killed, his mother saw that no one was left to take over the throne; so she planned to be the ruler herself. Of course, Ahaziah had some children, who were her grandsons, and she had other grandchildren too, but she decided that they must all be killed so that she could be made queen. Only one of the grandchildren escaped--a tiny baby named Jehoash. He was hidden away by his father's sister, and he was kept hidden for years, in a set of chambers built round the Temple. Athaliah became the queen, and since she was so willful and powerful, even those who did not approve of her had to pretend that they did. She established the worship of Baal again, and even took some of the Temple treasures and placed them in the House of Baal. Jehoash remained hidden in the temple for six years, and he was taught all about Jehovah and the laws of Jehovah by his aunt and her husband, who was the High Priest of the Temple. (That was why the child could remain hidden in the Temple chambers for so long.) Finally the wickedness of the queen and her court became so great that the High Priest of the Temple decided that the only way to save the entire nation from destruction would be to place the young prince on the throne. So after he had made his plans carefully, the Priest of Jehovah called the Guardsmen and soldiers of the temple together. He gave them weapons which had been hidden by David in the Temple. Then he brought forth Jehoash from his hiding place, and the assembled gathering proclaimed him king. Of course, Athaliah was very angry when she learned what had happened, but it was too late. She was driven out of the Temple; and as she was trying to escape, she was killed in the excitement. As long as the Priest of the Temple, Jehoiada, was alive, Jehoash was a good king. He restored the Temple, which had fallen into bad repair through long neglect, and he brought the people back to the worship of Jehovah. Jehoash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. Tomorrow: Jonah - The Prophet Who Tried To Run From God

The Story of Elisha

The Story of Elisha 2nd Kings 2:15 to 2nd Kings 13

The woman and her son before Elisha raises him from the dead. WHEN THE YOUNG men who were in the schools of the prophets saw Elisha divide the waters of Jordan, they knew that God was with him, as He had been with Elijah; and they came and bowed down to the ground before him, to do him honor. They, as well as Elisha, had seen Elijah taken up by the fiery chariot; but they thought that God might perhaps have carried him, in that way, to some other part of the country. So they begged Elisha to let fifty of them go and seek him. Elisha at first forbade their doing so, but at last he gave them leave. So they sought Elijah for three days. But they did not find him, for he was with God in heaven. Then the people of Jericho came to Elisha, complaining that, though the situation of their city was beautiful, as he saw, the water was almost poisonous, and the soil was barren. So he told them to bring him a new cruse, or bottle, with a little salt in it. And when it was brought, he went to the spring whence the water that supplied the neighborhood rose, and throwing the salt into it, he declared that God had taken away the unwholesomeness of the water, so that from that time neither men nor cattle should be injured by drinking it; nor should it any longer render the soil unproductive, as it had done. After this, Elisha went to Bethel; and when he was near the city, some young men came out ridiculing and insulting him; and they mockingly bade him "go up," as his master had done. This was a shocking sin, for it was turning into jest that great miracle that God had just done, of carrying Elijah, living as he was, into heaven. Elisha knew that God's anger would fall upon them for such wickedness; and, turning back toward the young men, he told them that they would be punished. And immediately two fierce she-bears rushed out of the wood, and killed forty-two of them. God enabled Elisha to do many miracles. He brought a dead child to life again. He healed the Syrian general, Naaman, of an incurable disease; fed a hundred of the prophets with a small quantity of bread; and did many other wonderful works. When Elisha lay dying, Jehoash, king of Israel, came, and wept over him. Then Elisha bade the king shoot an arrow out of the window, and afterward strike the ground with the whole quiver-full, to show the king that he should overcome his enemies, the Syrians. When he had done this, Elisha died. Tomorrow: Jehoash the Boy King

Elijah Taken to Heaven

Elijah Taken to Heaven 1st Kings 18:41 to 2nd Kings 2:14

A chariot of fire appears, and Elijah is taken to heaven in a whirlwind. ELIJAH RETURNED WITH Ahab to Jezreel, a beautiful place where the king had a palace. But Jezebel threatened to kill the prophet; so he fled for his life out of Israel, into the kingdom of Judah, to Beersheba. There he left his servant, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. Here, weary and worn out with his troubles, he lay down to sleep under a juniper-tree, and begged God to let him die. But while he slept, an angel touched him, bidding him rise and eat; and when he looked, he saw a cake baked on the coals, and a bottle of water by his side. So he ate and drank, and then lay down again. A second time the angel touched him, and bade him rise and eat; and that food which God had sent him sustained him for forty days and nights, while he traveled through the wilderness to Mount Horeb. And there, after storm, and earthquake, and fire, God appeared to him in a wonderful manner. At length the time came when God would take Elijah to heaven without dying like other men. And as he and Elisha,, who was to succeed him as prophet, went on their way from Gilgal to the River Jordan, Elijah, knowing what God was about to do for him, tried to persuade Elisha to leave him to go on alone. But Elisha clung lovingly to his master, and would not leave him. Then, at Bethel and Jericho, scholars of the prophets, who lived there, came out to them, asking Elisha if he knew that God would that day take away his master from him. Elisha answered them, "Yea, I know it;" and again Elijah would have sent him away, but he would not go. So they traveled together till they reached the river, where Elijah wrapped his mantle together, struck the waters, and they were divided, standing on each hand, so that he and Elisha passed over on dry ground. And as they still went on, suddenly there appeared in the air a chariot of fire, with horses of fire, which, parting the two asunder, carried up Elijah in a whirlwind to heaven. And when Elisha saw it, he cried after him, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" Then he took the mantle that fell from Elijah as he went up, and turned back to the Jordan; and as he stood on its bank,, he struck the waters, exclaiming, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" Then the waters were divided as they had been before and Elisha went over on dry land. Tomorrow: The Story of Elisha

Elijah Restores the Widow's Son

Elijah Restores the Widow's Son 1st Kings 17:17 to 1st Kings 18:40

Elijah brings a widow's son back from the dead. WHILE ELIJAH WAS with the widow of Zarephath, her son fell ill and died. His mother feared it was for some sin of hers that her child was taken from her, and that it was the prophet who had caused his illness. In her distress, she said this to Elijah reproachfully. But he only bade her bring her son to him; and then, lying down with the child on his own bed, he prayed earnestly that God would let its soul come into it again. God heard his prayer, and brought the child to life again; and Elijah carried him down to his mother. When the three years and six months were past, God bade Elijah go again to Ahab, for He was now about to send rain upon the earth. At this time Ahab, and Obadiah, the governor of his household, a man who worshiped God, had gone in different directions to seek grass for the king's horses and mules. As Obadiah went on his way, Elijah met him, and bade him tell his master where he might find Elijah; for Ahab, thinking it was he that had brought famine upon the kingdom, had angrily sought him in all countries. Obadiah was unwilling to carry Elijah's message, for he feared that as soon as he had left him, God might command him to go to some other place, and then, when Ahab came and found no prophet there, he himself might be put to death for having misled the king. But Elijah replied that he would assuredly show himself to Ahab that day; and then Obadiah went to tell him. When Ahab met Elijah, he haughtily asked whether he were not the man that troubled Israel. But Elijah answered that it was not he, but Ahab and his family that had brought affliction upon the nation by their wickedness. And he desired that the king would gather together all the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel, where he would offer sacrifice to God, and they to Baal; and the god whose sacrifice was consumed by fire from heaven should be acknowledged to be the true God. Ahab did this. The priests of Baal built their altar, and from morning to evening kept crying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no answer; their false god could do nothing for them. Then Elijah prepared his sacrifice; and when he called upon the Lord God, fire came down from heaven, that burnt up the sacrifice, and the wood, and even the stones of the altar. And then all the people bowed to the earth, exclaiming, "The Lord He is the God! The Lord He is the God!" Tomorrow: Elijah Taken to Heaven

Elijah Fed by Ravens

Elijah Fed by Ravens 1st Kings 12:16 to 1st Kings 17

God feeds Elijah by sending a raven to bring him food. VERY SOON AFTER the separation of the twelve tribes the kingdom of Israel fell into idolatry. Jeroboam, its first king, set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel, the two extremities of his dominions, to prevent his people going up to Jerusalem (which belonged to the kingdom of Judah) to worship God. But, though they worshiped these images, they had not entirely rejected the true God. It was under Ahab, the sixth king, a weak and wicked man, whose wife, Jezebel, was even worse than himself, that the worship of the true God was put down, and that of Baal established in its place. God was angry both with Ahab and his people for their idolatry and persecution of his priests, who were put to death in great numbers; and, as a punishment for these sins, He sent Elijah to tell Ahab that for three years and a half neither dew nor rain should fall in the land of Israel. As soon as Elijah had foretold this great evil, God bade him hide himself from the rage of Ahab in a certain place near the brook Cherith, where He had commanded the ravens to feed him. So he went and dwelt by the brook, which afforded him water to drink, while the ravens, as God had said, brought him food morning and evening. But, as no rain had fallen, in time the brook dried up, and then God bade him leave his present hiding-place, and go to Zarephath, near Sidon; for He had commanded a widow, who lived there, to provide for him. Elijah immediately went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, he saw the woman gathering sticks. He called her, and asked her to give him some water to drink; and as she was going for it, he begged her also to bring him a morsel of bread. The poor woman turned round, and told him she had no bread. All that she had was a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a bottle, and she had just been gathering wood to cook it for herself and her son; after they had eaten it, they must lie down to die, for she knew not where to get more. Elijah bade her do as she had said, but to make him a little cake first, and afterward for herself; for God, he assured her, would cause her meal and oil to last till the famine should be at an end. So the woman made him the little cake first; and he, and she, with her family, were fed out of the handful meal and vessel of oil for many days. Neither of them failed till the day when God sent rain upon the earth, and so took away the famine. Tomorrow: Elijah Restores the Widow's Son

The Queen of Sheba's Visit to Solomon

The Queen of Sheba's Visit to Solomon 1st Kings 10:1-13

The Queen of Sheba is welcomed by Solomon. SOLOMON HAD VAST treasures of gold and silver, and precious things of every kind. His people also were rich and happy. Solomon worshiped and served God faithfully; and God, as He had promised, blessed him greatly. When David had desired to build a house, or temple, for God's worship at Jerusalem, God had told him that his son Solomon should build it. So, when he came to the throne, Solomon built this temple of the richest materials, and in the most costly manner. Hewn stone, cedar, olive-tree wood, fine brass, pure gold, silver, and precious stones, were there in abundance; and artificers from Tyre, who were famous for their skill, wrought them for him. The Temple, which was placed on Mount Moriah, was seven years in building. When it was finished, Solomon dedicated it to God in a solemn assembly of the people; and the Lord God filled it with His glory, as He had done the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The wisdom of Solomon was celebrated not only among his own people, but in all parts of the East, whose kings sent messengers to him, that they might hear it for themselves. The Queen of Sheba came herself to Jerusalem, with a great train of people, and camels carrying gold, precious stones, and spices, as presents for the great king, that she might know, by conversing with Solomon, whether he was so wise as had been told her. And when she heard his wisdom, and had seen the splendor of his court and palace, she was so overpowered that she fainted. And she said to the king that before she came she did not believe what had been told her in her own land of his wisdom and greatness, but now she saw that not even the half of it had been made known to her. Happy were they who served before him, and continually heard his wisdom. And she gave thanks to God for having given such a king to his people Israel. Then, when Solomon had also given her costly presents, she and her train returned to their own country. But as Solomon grew older, instead of serving and worshiping God as he had done, he began to worship false gods. And then God, as He had threatened, let trouble come upon him and his kingdom, so that, after his death, ten of the tribes were taken away from his son, and set up into a separate kingdom, that of Israel, which was never again united to the kingdom of Judah.

The Judgment of Solomon

The Judgment of Solomon 1st Kings 3:16-28

Solomon commanded that the living child be cut in two. SOLOMON WAS THE greatest king that ever reigned in Israel; he was also one of the wisest men that ever lived. When he first came to the throne, God appeared to him one night in a dream, and asked what gift He should bestow upon him. Solomon prayed that He would give him wisdom to govern his people. God was pleased that he had asked wisdom instead of riches, or conquests, or long life, and He told Solomon that because he had done so, not only would He make him wiser than any man who ever lived, but that he should be rich and famous above all kings of the earth. And if he would obey Him in all things, long life should also be added to the other good gifts which were to be his. In those days it was the custom for kings to sit in some public place, where such of their subjects as had wrongs to complain of might plead their cause before them, and obtain justice. One day two women came before Solomon. One of them told him that she and the other woman both lived in one house, and each had a very young child; that in the night the child belonging to the other woman died, and its mother exchanged it for the living one, putting her own dead child in her neighbor's bed as she lay sleeping, and taking the living child to herself. In the morning, the mother of the living child found out the cheat; but she whose child was dead would not give up the one that she had stolen, for she said it was her own. And the two women stood there before the king, each one contending that the living child was hers, and that the dead child belonged to the other. Then Solomon desired his people to bring him a sword; and when it was brought, he bade them divide the living child in two, and give half of him to each of the women. The woman who had falsely claimed the child made no objection to this decision. But the real mother could not bear it. Rather than have her son killed, she was willing to lose him altogether; and she cried, and in no wise slay it!" Then the king saw at once to which of them the child belonged; and he said, "Give her the living child, for she is its mother." And all the people of Israel, when they heard of this judgment of Solomon, knew that God had indeed given him wisdom to do justice among his subjects; and they held him in great awe and reverence. Tomorrow: The Queen of Sheba's Visit to Solomon

Solomon Crowned King

WHEN ABSALOM WAS dead, the people were eager to fetch the king home again; so eager, that they quarreled among themselves because the men of Judah, David's own tribe, were the first to bring him on his way to Jerusalem.
And the quarrel ended in all the men of Israel again revolting from the king. Joab, however, who was a skillful soldier, though he was a very bad man, succeeded in putting down the insurrection.
But David's troubles were not yet at an end. First famine, and then pestilence, in which seventy thousand of the people died, afflicted his kingdom.
And then, when he was old and feeble, apparently near death, his son Adonijah set himself up to be king, after his father, instead of Solomon, whom God had appointed to succeed David.
By way of making his claim sure, Adonijah had taken upon himself royal state. Joab and other officers of the kingdom were with him, and the people acknowledged him as king.
News of this was brought to David, who at once determined to prevent disputes about the succession after his death by having Solomon crowned during his own lifetime.
So he called Nathan the priest, Zadok the prophet, and Benaiah the captain of his guard, and bade them, with a number of his officers, take Solomon, and, placing him upon the king's own mule (which it was death for any subject to ride), bring him down to Gihon, a fountain near Jerusalem, and there, with sound of trumpet, anoint, and proclaim him king over Israel.
So they took him thither, and proclaimed him king; multitudes following and shouting, "God save King Solomon!" till the city rang again.
Adonijah and his friends were at this time rejoicing together; and while they were feasting, in came one of their party to tell them that David had actually made Solomon king of Israel.
When they heard this, they were so frightened that each one stole away as quietly as he could. And Adonijah, fearing that his life might be forfeited for attempting to seize the kingdom, fled to the altar for protection; for he who laid hold of the horns of the altar was considered under God's protection, and therefore safe from his enemies.
But Solomon sent for him, promising him safety if he submitted to him. So Adonijah came, and did homage to his brother, who let him go home peaceably.
Soon after this David died, and was buried at Jerusalem.
Tomorrow: The Judgment of Solomon

David is King

David is King 2nd Samuel 1 to 2nd Samuel 18

As Absolom flees, his hair is caught in the branches and he's left hanging. SAUL, HAVING BEEN defeated and severely wounded in his last battle with the Philistines, killed himself for fear of falling alive into the hands of the enemy. After his death the tribe of Judah chose David for their king, and he reigned in Hebron between seven and eight years. At the end of that time he became king over the whole Israel; and, having taken Jerusalem from the Jebusites, who had got possession of it, he made it his capital city, and lived there in a fine palace which he built for himself. He greatly desired also to build a temple, in which the ark of God might be place, and in which God might be worshiped with more splendor than He had been in the Tabernacle. God was pleased that David desired to do this, but told him that not he, but his son Solomon, who was to succeed him, should build the Temple. David had many children, and among these his son Absalom was his favorite. He was very beautiful, and not only his father, but all the people of Israel, loved him. But he was a vain, worthless young man, and caused his father much sorrow by his wicked conduct. He murdered one of his half brothers; and then, when, after long banishment, he was permitted to come again into the king's presence, he very soon raised a rebellion against him, in order to seize the crown for himself; and such numbers of the people joined with him that David was obliged to make his escape from Jerusalem into the wilderness. The good king was sorely grieved that his own favorite son should seek his life; but he trusted that God, who had so often delivered him, would do so now. He soon drew round him forces enough to meet those of his rebellious son, and a pitched battle was fought between them in the wood of Ephraim. The troops of Absalom were defeated with great slaughter; and as he himself was flying from the field of battle, his mule carried him under a large oak-tree; his hair caught in the branches, and the animal, galloping off, left him hanging there. One of David's army, who saw this, instead of releasing him, ran and told Joab, David's chief captain, who, though he had received a strict charge from the king to save the life of his son, hastened to him, and cruelly killed him by thrusting three darts through his very heart. When word was brought to David that Absalom was slain, he wept and lamented for him, exclaiming, "Oh, my son Absalom, my son! would God I had died for thee!" Tomorrow: Solomon Crowned King

David and Jonathan

David and Jonathan 1st Samuel 20 to 1st Samuel 26

David creeps silently into where Saul is sleeping. SAUL SENT MESSENGERS hither and thither to take David, but they failed to find him. Jonathan meanwhile kept trying to save his friend; but when at last Saul threw his spear at him, in his anger at his continuing to plead for David, he perceived that all his efforts were useless. So he and David took leave of each other lovingly; the latter retiring to the wilderness, where he soon gathered together a band of followers. While Saul continued his fierce pursuit of David, his life was twice in David's power, who refused to hurt Saul, though his followers urged him to kill the king. On one of these occasions, David, to proved how easily he might had killed Saul if he would, cut off a piece of his robe when he was asleep. And then, when the king awoke, showing it to him, he besought him not to believe those who had told him that David desired to take his life. Saul's hard heart was softened by his appeal, and he said to David, "Thou are more righteous than I;" for David had returned him good for evil. Saul added that he knew David should be king after him; and he entreated that his sons might not be put to death when David came to the throne. David solemnly promised this, and then Saul returned from pursuing him. But David, not daring to trust himself with him, went back to his stronghold in En-gedi. Saul's reconciliation with David did not last long. He was soon hunting him again with a force of three thousand men. He had pitched his camp in the wilderness; and David, with Abishai, one of his followers, came down to it at night. The people were all asleep, and Saul's tent was set up in the midst of the encampment. The two stole in among them, and came silently to the place where Saul lay sleeping, with his spear stuck into the ground by his pillow, surrounded by his guard, with Abner their captain, all fast asleep. Abishai wished to kill Saul, But David would not suffer him. Only to show Saul once more how completely he had been in his power, he carried the spear, and water-bottle, that stood by it, away with him to his own camp. When he got there he called out tauntingly to Abner, and the king's guard, asking whether they were not pretty defenders of their master, and bidding them send some one to fetch back the king's spear. Saul knew the voice; and when David complained to him of his merciless pursuit of one who had so often spared his life, he relented, and said he would do David no more harm. Tomorrow: David is King

The Story of Saul

The Story of Saul 1 Samuel 9 to 1 Samuel 10:25

Samuel presents Saul to the people, as their king. SAUL WAS THE son of Kish. He was tall and handsome and well-built, and from his shoulders upward, he was bigger than any of his people. One day the asses of Kish strayed away and were lost; and Kish said to his son, "Take one of the servants with you and arise, go seek the asses." They searched through Mount Ephraim, and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. They passed through the land of Shalim, and through the land of the Benjamites, but still they could not find the asses. Then Saul began to think of returning home, for they had been away for a long time, and he feared that his father would be anxious for their safety. The servant suggested that they go to see a wise man who lived in a city near by and who had foretold many things which had come to pass. Together they went to the city to see the seer, and they met some maidens who told them that a sacrifice was being made that day and that the seer, whose name was Samuel, would be there to bless it; so they would be sure to find him. Now, the Lord had told Samuel that he would send him a man from the land of Benjamin to be the captain and king of all the people of Israel. So when Saul appeared, Samuel pointed him out and said to the assembled people, "There is the man." And to Samuel he said, "Come up with me to the high place. You shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and you shall tell me everything that is in your heart. As for the asses, do not trouble about them, for they were found three days ago." Saul was puzzled, for he could not understand the honor that was being bestowed upon him, but Samuel gave him no chance to protest. He took Saul and his servant to the feast, and gave Saul the choicest portion to eat. The next morning Samuel anointed Saul, and led him before all the people and proclaimed him the new king. Saul tried to hide, but as he stood head and shoulders above all the other people, it was an easy matter to single him out. Amid the shouts and cheers of the people he was made King of Israel. Tomorrow: David and Goliath

David Is Anointed King

David Is Anointed King 1st Samuel 8 to 1st Samuel 16:13

Samuel anoints David, the shepherd boy, to be king of Israel. WHEN SAMUEL WAS very old, he made his sons judges, with himself, over Israel. But his sons took bribes, and did other things that they ought not to have done; and the people of Israel became so discontented, that they came to Samuel and desired him to give them a king in place of him and his sons. Samuel was grieved at this request; so he prayed to God to know what he should do. And God was displeased with the people for wishing to be governed by a king, like other nations, when He Himself was their king. Nevertheless, He gave them leave to have one, and told Samuel whom he should choose. This was Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. So Samuel anointed Saul King over Israel as we have already seen; and when he was brought before them, all the people shouted, "God save the king!" At first Saul was a good king, and did all that God commanded him. But he soon became disobedient; and as he persisted in ill-doing, God, who was patient with him for a while, at last determined that one more worthy than he should be chosen to be king after him and whose children should succeed to the throne in place of Saul's children. So God bade Samuel to take a horn of oil, and go to Jesse, an Israelite who lived at Bethlehem, and anoint one of his sons, whom He would point out to him, as the future king over Israel. Samuel was afraid of doing this, for he thought Saul, if he knew it, would put him to death. But God bade him go and offer a sacrifice at Bethlehem, and He would show him what to do. So he went and called the chief men of the town, together with Jesse and his family, to the sacrifice. Then Jesse made his sons pass before Samuel, who, when he saw the eldest son, Eliab, a tall, fine-looking man, thought he must be the one whom God would choose to be anointed king. But God said He would not have Eliab; for He looked at the heart of man, not at his outward appearance. So seven of Jesse's sons one after another, came before Samuel, and none of them did God choose. Then Samuel asked if all Jesse's children were there. Jesse answered he had one more son, David, the youngest, who was away keeping sheep. So David was sent for. He was a beautiful youth, with golden hair; and as soon as he came, God bade Samuel anoint him, for he was the one whom He had chose. So Samuel anointed him king. And the Spirit of God then came upon David, and remained with him from that day. Tomorrow: The Story of Saul

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

Hannah Dedicates Samuel 1st Samuel 1 to 1st Samuel 2:21

Hannah dedicates Samuel to the Lord and brings him to Eli at the Temple. FIFTEEN JUDGES RULED the people of Israel during a period of four hundred and fifty years; that is, from the death of Joshua, till Saul was chosen as their first king. Samuel was the last of these judges; and he was a priest and a great prophet, as well as a ruler of the people. His father and mother were named Elkanah and Hannah. They were very good people, and year by year went up from the place where they lived to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle had been set up, to worship and offer sacrifice to God. This all the Israelites were obliged to do after they were settled in the promised land. Hannah had no children; and as she was grieved that she had none, she prayed to God, when worshiping at Shiloh, to giver her a son, promising that if He would, she would dedicate him (that is, give him up) to the Lord God, in the service of the Tabernacle, from his childhood. God granted her request; and when the child was born she called him Samuel (which means "Asked of God"), because he had been given to her in answer to her prayer. The first time after his birth that Elkanah and his family went up, as usual, to worship at Shiloh, Hannah did not go with them. She told her husband should not do so till Samuel was weaned, and then she would take him with her, and leave him with the priests, who might train him to serve God in the Tabernacle. Elkanah bade her do as she thought best in the matter. So when Samuel was weaned, she took him with her to Shiloh. And when she had offered sacrifice to God, she told Eli the high-priest, who was also at that time judge in Israel, that she was the woman whom some time before he had seen praying in the Temple (as the Tabernacle was also called), and that Samuel was the child she had prayed for. And now, as she had promised, she was come to give him to God, that he might be His priest. Then, when Eli had given his blessing to Hannah and her husband, they returned home, leaving Samuel with him. And the child served in the ministry of the Temple, clad in a white linen garment that the priests wore. It was called an ephod. And every year that his mother came up to worship at Shiloh, she brought him a little coat, that she had herself made for him. And as Samuel grew, God blessed him; and Eli, who was very old and nearly blind, was fond of this good little child whom everybody loved because he was good. Tomorrow: Samuel's First Prophesy

Naomi and Ruth

Naomi and Ruth Ruth 1 to Ruth 4

Ruth gleans for grain in the field of Boaz. IN THE DAYS when the Judges ruled over Israel, there was a famine in the land. And a man named Elimelech, who lived at Bethlehem-Judah, together with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, left their home on account of it, and went to live in the country of the Moabites. While they were there Elimelech died, leaving Naomi and her sons, who married two women of the country, named Orpah and Ruth. In about ten years the sons died also: and then Naomi, hearing that the famine which had driven them from home had passed away, resolved to return thither with her daughters-in-law. But they had gone far before Naomi, remembering that she was now poor, as well as a widow, thought it would be better for her daughters-in-law to stay among their own people than to go with her to what was to them a strange land. So she kissed them, and bade them return to their mother's house, praying God to bless them for their kindness to her and her sons. Her daughters wept, and refused to leave her; but she urged them to do so, till at last Orpah yielded, and, bidding Naomi a loving farewell, went back to her own home in Moab. Ruth, however, still clung to her mother-in-law; and when Naomi would have had her follow her sister-in-law, who was gone to her own people and the gods of her country (for the Moabites where heathens, and worshiped the idol Baal), she answered her, "Entreat me not to leave them, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge: they people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried: naught but death shall part thee and me." So, when Naomi saw how steadfastly Ruth loved her, she ceased urging her, and they went on together to Bethlehem-Judah. When they arrived there all the people of the place were surprised to see them, asking, "Is not this Naomi?" But Naomi, full of sorrow for her dead husband and sons, and the poverty that had now fallen upon her, answered them, "Call me not Naomi (which signifies "Pleasant"), but Mara ( that is, "Bitterness"), for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. It was the time of barley-harvest when Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem; and they were so very poor that Ruth went out into the fields to glean after the reapers. One of the chief men of Bethlehem was named Boaz, a very rich man, who was a near relation to Elimelech, Naomi's husband. Ruth happened to go and glean in a field belonging to him; and Boaz, seeing her, asked the man who was over the reapers who she was. The man answered that she was Ruth the Moabitess, who had come to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi, and that she had asked him to let her glean in the field. Boaz then spoke kindly to Ruth, and bade her not to go to any other fields to glean; and he told her, when she was thirsty, to help herself to the drink that was brought to refresh his servants. Ruth felt grateful to Boaz, and asked him how it was that he showed so much kindness to a stranger. He told her that he had heard how good a daughter she had been to Naomi; and that she had left her own father, and mother, and country, to come with her into a strange land. And he prayed that the God of Israel would bless and reward her. Then at meal-time he bade her eat and drink with the reapers. So she sat beside them; and Boaz himself set food before her. And when she returned to her gleaning, he desired the reapers to let fall some handfuls of grain on purpose for her, that she might gather the more. When Ruth went home in the evening, she gave her mother-in-law some of her own dinner, which she had kept for her; and then she beat out the barley she had gleaned. There was so large a quantity of it that Naomi asked her where she had gleaned that day. Ruth answered, in the field of Boaz. Naomi was glad when she heard this; and, telling Ruth that he was their near kinsman, she said she must contrive to see the great man again, and make him understand that the poor gleaner was nearly related to him. So Ruth did as Naomi desired her. And when Boaz knew who she was, he blessed her, and said that he would do for her all that the law of the Israelites required from him as her nearest kinsman. Then he called together the chief men of the city, and before them, as witnesses, bought back the piece of land that had belonged to Elimelech, and to which Ruth, as the widow of his son, was the next heir. After that he took Ruth for his wife; and their son Obed was the grandfather of David, who was afterward the great King of Israel. Tomorrow: Hannah Dedicates Samuel

Samson and the Gates of Gaza

Samson and the Gates of Gaza Judges 14 to Judges 16

Samson pulls down the temple of Dagon, killing all who were inside. SAMSON MARRIED THE daughter of one of the Philistines; but afterward her father took her away from him, and, in revenge, he killed great numbers of them, and destroyed their crops and vineyards. The Philistines then came out in great force against the men of Judah, and demanded that Samson should be given up to them. The men accordingly came to Samson, and said they must give him up to the enemy. So Samson let them bind him with strong cords, and take him to the Philistines. But at that moment God gave him strength to snap the cords asunder; and, snatching up the jaw-bone of an ass, he fell upon his enemies, and killed a thousand of them. After this, Samson went to Gaza, a city of the Philistines, and at night the people shut him in, saying to each other that they would kill him in the morning. But in the middle of the night he got up, tore down the gates of the city, and, throwing them upon his shoulders, carried them to the top of a hill in the neighborhood. His enemies now saw that they could not overcome him by force, so they bribed a woman to get from him the secret of his strength. Samson deceived both her and them several times, but at last told her the truth, that if his hair were cut off, he should be no stronger than any other man. So, when he was asleep, she cut it off; and then, calling the Philistines, they took him, put out his eyes, and set him to grind corn. But as he toiled in prison, God gave his strength to him again. So one day, when the great men of the Philistines were going to worship their false god Dagon, and would have Samson make sport for them, he begged the boy who led him in to let him rest against the pillars of the building where they were assembled. Then, praying to God that He would once more enable him to destroy his enemies, he laid hold of the pillars, and, bending forward with all his might, pulled the building down, crushing both himself and thousands of the Philistines. Thus it happened that he killed more in his death than in life. Tomorrow: Naomi and Ruth

Samson and the Lion

Samson and the Lion Judges 13 to Judges 14:6

Samson tears a lion to pieces with his bare hands. THE CHILDREN OF Israel made many other conquests after the fall of Jericho. On one occasion God caused both the sun and the moon to stand still in the heavens, that the day might be long enough for them to complete the defeat of their enemies. At length they had possession of almost the whole land of Canaan, and they divided it by lot among their twelve tribes, the descendants of Israel's twelve sons. Then God gave them rest from the attacks of their enemies round about them; and for a while they served Him faithfully. But after the death of Joshua, and those who had come with him into the promised land, the people began to forget God, and to worship false gods. So, to punish them, God allowed their enemies to distress them on every hand. Yet, from time to time, He took pity upon them, and gave them rulers, called judges, under whom they were victorious in war. But, as soon as the judge was dead, they returned to their evil ways; and then God again let them fall under the power of their enemies. The Philistines were the most powerful of nations that oppressed the Israelites; and to help them against these, God gave to them a judge named Samson. Before he was born, an angel appeared to his mother and told her that her son should begin the deliverance of the people from the Philistines. She did not know it was really an angel, but told her husband that a man, who looked like an angel of God, had said these things to her. Then Manoah, her husband, prayed to God that the man might come again, and tell them how they should bring up their child. So God sent the angel again, and they still thought he was a man. But when they began to dress food for him, the angel bade them offer it to God as a burnt-offering; and when they did so, he went up, as it were, to heaven, in the flame that rose from the altar. Then they knew it was God's angel with whom they had been speaking. When their child was born they called him Samson, and did all that the angel had said they should do with him. And God blessed Samson, and made him the strongest man that ever lived. One day, when he was going with his father and mother into the country of the Philistines, a lion sprang out roaring against him; and God suddenly gave him such strength that he seized it with his hands and tore it to pieces. Tomorrow: Samson and the Gates of Gaza

Jephthah's Daughter

Jephthah's Daughter Judges 10 to Judges 11

Jephthah's daughter comes hurrying out to meet her father, singing for joy. IN THE LAND of Israel east of Jordan there lived a man named Jephthah. His brothers despised him and drove him away from their father's home, so he went to live in the land called Tob. Here he became a strong man, and his brave deeds were told by many people. Finally even his brothers heard about them. At this time the Israelites were in great trouble again. They had quit going to the tabernacle at Shiloh to worship God. Everywhere in the land they were bowing down before the gods that other nations worshiped. And the very nations whose gods they were serving began to trouble them. They began to make war against the Israelites and to take away their riches. The Ammonites came from the east and the Philistines came from the west and ruled over the Israelites. The Ammonites even threatened to take away the homes of the Israelites and to drive them out of their country. This was an unhappy time indeed for the people who had once enjoyed the blessings of God. After suffering for eighteen years under the rule of their enemies, the Israelites remembered how God had long ago given them all the land and had made them stronger than all the nations who lived around them. So they cried to God for help, and they expected God to send a deliverer, just as he had done at other times when they were in trouble. But God was much displeased with the people. He was not willing to help them, because they had turned away from him to worship the gods of other nations. He said, "Let the gods that you have chosen instead of me help you out of your trouble. I will not be your God when trouble comes upon you if you will not worship me when you have rest from your enemies." Now the Israelites became very sorry for having sinned against the true God. They saw that the gods they were serving could never help them at all. They knew that true God whom their fathers had worshiped could deliver them out of the power of their enemies. So they tore down their idols and began to serve the Lord. They confessed their sins to the Lord and asked him again to help him. When the Lord saw that the people were really sorry for their sins, he began to pity them. He saw them gather their soldiers together at a place called Mizpah, to fight against the Ammonites. But they had no leader. Finally some one remembered Jephthah whose brave deeds had been told through all the land. They sent quickly for him to come to lead them to the battle against the Ammonites. But Jephthah was not willing to come. Not until his brothers had promised to treat him kindly would Jephthah return again with his family to his old home and help his people out of their trouble. Jephthah knew that unless God would be with him he could not gain a victory over the Ammonites. So he asked God to help him, and he promised to give as a present to God the first thing that should meet him on his return home from the battle. This was not a wise promise; for Jephthah did not know what might come first to greet him on his return. The Ammonites sent a message to the Israelites at Mizpah and wanted them to give up all the land east of the Jordan River; they said this land belonged to them first. But Jephthah sent back an answer that God would be the judge, for he had given the land to the people of Israel. Then the battle began; and the Israelites won the victory. News of the victory reached Jephthah's home before he returned with the army of Mizpah. And everybody was glad because God had helped them again. Jephthah's daughter, his only child, came hurrying out to meet her father, singing for joy. But her song ended quickly when she saw her father's troubled face. He had remembered his promise to the Lord. Now he believed that he must give his only child as an offering to God. How sorry he felt because he had made such an unwise promise! He tore his clothes and cried out in distress. Then he told his daughter about the promise that he had made. The people of other nations sometimes gave their children to their gods; but the law of Moses forbade the Israelites doing such a thing. Perhaps Jephthah had never heard that part of the law read, and he had often heard about the cruel custom of his heathen neighbors. He believed that he would need to keep his promise, although it was not a wise one. And his daughter urged him to keep it. because God had given him the victory over their enemies. But first she asked for two months time to spend alone with her friends in the mountains, weeping because she must soon be taken away from them. Afterwards she returned again to her father that he might fulfill his promise to God. Jephthah judged Israel for six years after his victory over the Ammonites, and then he died. Tomorrow: Samson and the Lion

Judges 6 to Judges 7

The Story of Gideon Judges 6 to Judges 7

Gideon's three hundred men blow their trumpets. THE CHILDREN OF Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. The Israelites took refuge in dens and strongholds in the mountains, and in caves. At harvest time, when the crops which had been sown by the Israelites were ready for the reaping, the Midianites came with their numbers of camels and ate up the crops. They were in great numbers like grasshoppers, and when they left, the land was bare, with no food for man or beast. The children of Israel cried out to God and wanted to know why this great trouble had come upon them, and He sent them a prophet to tell them that it was because He had brought them up out of Egypt, and had delivered them from all oppression, and He had told them not to worship the gods of the country in which they lived, for He was the Lord their God; but they had not obeyed Him, and for this they were being punished. There was a man among the Israelites who did not want to worship any but Jehovah. His name was Gideon, and one day as he sat threshing wheat by the wine-press to hide it from the Midianites, an angel of the Lord appeared and spoke to him, saying, "The Lord is with you, mighty man of valour." "I have chosen you to save Israel." So the next day Gideon took ten of his servants and went up to the hill on which had been erected an altar to Baal and the Asherah, the false gods whom the people were worshiping. He threw down the false altars, and built an altar to God in the same place, and on it he made a burnt offering to God. The next morning when the people saw what had been done, they cried out to one another. "Who has done this thing?" they shouted. Then the men of the city went to Joash, Gideon's father, and they asked him to send his son out, that he might be put to death. Gideon's father refused, saying, "Why should you plead for Baal? If he is a god, he should plead for himself against the one who has wronged him." Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and called a great army together. But before he sat out to save Israel, he wanted to be sure that he was the one chosen to do it, so he said to God: "If I am the one chosen to this task, I should like a sign. I will put this fleece of wool upon the earth. If the dew forms on the fleece, but not on the earth, I will know that it is indeed so." And God did so that night. Then Gideon returned to his army, and prepared for the battle. But Jehovah said that his army was far too large, and he asked Gideon to send home all who were fearful and afraid. So twenty-two thousand went home, and then thousand remained. But Jehovah said that it was still too large, and sent home all but three hundred. That night Gideon went alone to the camp of the Midianites, and he heard one man telling of a strange dream. "I dreamed," said the man, "and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came to a tent, and smote it that it fell and overturned it, and the tent lay along." And the other answered, "This is nothing else save that sword of Gideon, for into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the host. " Gideon returned to his camp. He called up his three hundred men, and gave each of them empty pitchers and lamps and trumpets. Then he led them to the enemy camp. When they came to the camp, the three companies blew with their trumpets, broke the pitchers, so that the lights shone out, and shouted, "The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon." The Midianites were in utter confusion, and Gideon won an easy victory. Tomorrow: Jephthah's Daughter

Church Born Again: The Brazen Serpent

Church Born Again: The Brazen Serpent: The Brazen Serpent Numbers 21:4-9 Moses sets up the brass serpent on the pole. THE PEOPLE WERE at first very sorry for hav...

Joshua at Jericho

Joshua at Jericho Numbers 27, Deuteronomy 34, Joshua 1 to Joshua 6

Jericho is captured after it's walls come tumbling down. THE CHILDREN OF Israel had now only to cross the River Jordan to enter the promised land of Canaan. Moses, for his sin at Meribah, or the waters of strife, where he struck the rock instead of speaking to it as he was told, had been forbidden to enter it with them. He was only allowed to see it at a distance, from the top of mount Nebo. So, by God's command, he appointed Joshua to be their guide and leader into it. After Moses had done this, he died, a hundred and twenty years old. Then God bade Joshua prepare to pass over the Jordan into the land He had promised to the Israelites. But, before they did so, Joshua sent two spies to the city of Jericho, which was fortified against them on the other side of the river. The people of the city were very much afraid of the Israelites, for they had heard what God had done for them from the time they left Egypt. So, when the King of Jericho sent men to take these spies prisoners, a woman of the city, in whose house they had lodged, hid them; and then begged, as her reward, that when the city should be taken, her life, and the lives of all her family, might be saved. The spies promised this; so then,, as she lived on the town wall, she let them down by a cord through the window, and they returned to the camp. When the people were about to pass over Jordan, the ark, in which were two tables of stones, was carried before them by twelve priests; and, as soon as they entered the river, its waters were divided, and all the multitude went over on dry ground. Then they encamped at Gilgal, before Jericho; and there God commanded that the armed men of the Israelites, with the priests carrying the ark, should on seven days go round the city, with trumpets sounding; and He told them that on the seventh day the walls should fall down before them. So each day, for six days, as they had been bidden, they went once round the city; but on the seventh day they went round it seven times, as God had said; and at the seventh time, when the priest blew a loud blast with the trumpets, Joshua bade the people shout, for the city was theirs. Then they gave a great shout, and the walls of the city fell down flat before them, so that they marched straight into it, and burned it to the ground. But Joshua remembered the woman Rahab, who had hidden the spies, and he brought her and her family in safety out of Jericho into the camp of the Israelites. Tomorrow: The Story of Gideon